News & Research

Books as Art

“Everyone
has an interesting story deep down within themselves,” says Professor of
Graphic Design Jan Baker. For the past 30 years,
she has been encouraging students to bring forth their own inner stories by
inspiring them to create artists’ books. And this year, while working as a
Library Fellow in the RISD Artists’ Book Collection, Baker took the opportunity
to revisit more than 500 artists’ books she has collected over the years – all
made by former students – and curate an exhibition highlighting some of her
favorites from each decade.

Get inspired by RISD's collection of artists' books on display at the Fleet Library through July.

Called
BOOKMARK, the extensive
exhibition is on view at the Fleet
Library at RISD, woven throughout the first floor, mezzanine and second-floor
spaces. “It’s a feast for the eyes, mind and heart,” Baker says, with
beautifully made, one-of-a-kind or very limited edition books covering themes
ranging from alphabets, animals and food to nature, culture, travel and sensual
experiences. “Even though you can’t open each and every one of the books to
read their touching narratives,” she says, “you’ll find snippets and glimpses
of stories about family, siblings, grandparents, friends and lovers, about feelings,
colors and sound, and about pets and imagined creatures.”

In
addition to covering a wide range of subject matter, each artist’s book in the
exhibition is a lovingly made work of art, Baker points out. Students wrote,
edited, designed, printed and hand-bound each of the books being shown. And in
the process, they not only revealed their inner interests and stories, they
experimented with different papers, printing techniques and binding structures.

“Perhaps
visitors to the exhibition will be inspired by the abundance of creativity
these books represent,” Baker says. “Maybe some will even make a book of their
own this summer – about a story they hold inside.”